Vehicle door lock



rch 26,1940. E. EKUETHE 2,194,591, v VEHICLE DOOR LOCK Filed March 23, 1939 v........... 'Ir'.

f n l.

' JJ'JUENZOP 57050/01107 El llee Patented Mu. ze, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i VEHICLE noon Loox Edward E. xuethe, Rockford, Minn. l Application Maren 2s, 1939, serial No. 263,392

` 2 Claims. (C1. 292-254) rangement of parts hereinafter described and Fig. 3 isa perspective view showing that part of the lock mechanism that is to 'be applied to the door removed from the door;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the mech- `5 anism of Fig; 3 looking at the same from the rear of the lock enclosing box, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of F1s.2: Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but illustrating a somewhat modified structure; and

Fig. 'i is a perspective view with some parts.

,sectioned showing that part of the mechanism that is toV be applied to the door removed from .5 the door.

Y In Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the numeral I0 indicates 4one of the front doors of thev automobile, and .the numeral II indicates the co-operating door frame. f o Except as hereinafter noted, the door in the frame may be assumed to be of standard auto construction in which outer flange I2 of the door is normally stopped against a rubber buffer I3 secured in the door frame. The numeralsv I4 w and Il indicate inside upholstery or lining secured to the inner faces ofv door and frame in such a manner as to form a tight joint when the door is closed.

For the application of the lock mechanism to o the door and to the door frame box, light sheet metal easings I6 and I1 are set into and rigidly secured within the co-operating edges of the door and frame. The lock casings I6 .and 'I1 are metallic box-like structures welded or other- ,5 wise secured respectively to the metallic parts of the door lli and casing or frame II. The said casings are open at their adjacent faces and come close together when the door is closed.

' In this improved lock mechanism the latch is in the door casing or frame structure and the cooperating mechanism is in the door'frame. The latch-acting dog I8 in this improved structure is pivoted at I9 to the casing I1, and at its free end is provided with a laterally projecting blade that terminates in a stop flange 2l that is enl.' gageable with astop flange 22 on the casing I1 to limit the outward movement of the latch dog to a position slightly farther outward than shown in Fig. 2. The latch dog Il is yieldingly pressed outward by a quite strong spring 23 of u the sear or U-shaped type interposed between the same and the back flange of the casing I'l.

Mounted in the casing II, as close as is practical to that corner thereof that is adjacent to the inner part of the joint between the door and 20 frame, is a latch-retracted detent 24 in the form of a roller freely journaled to the top and bottom flanges of the said casing I8. Also pivoted in the casing I6 is a latch-retracting lever or element 25, the free end of which is engageable 25 with the free edge portion of the latch dog I8, but which is yieldingly retracted or pressed away from said latch by a suitable spring such as a light leaf spring 26 anchored to said casing I8.

So far described, the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive is like that illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7; however, the preferred structure is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 and is as follows. Working through a slot in the casing I6 4is a latch-releasing bar or plunger 21, the extreme outer end of which is shown as terminated in a ange 28and the inner end of which is connected to a short crank arm 29 carried by the shaft 30 of an inside actuating handle 3|.

For releasing the latch from the outer side of th door, there is an outer handle I2 having a shaft 33 journaled in the side of the door and in bearings on the casing I6; and provided with a cam-actuating arm or eccentric 34, seepar ticularly Figs. 2 and 5, the jdependlng end of which directly engages the anse 2B of the link 21. Here it should be noted that the shaft 33 is extended through a clearance slot l5 in the I link 21.

The construction of the latch mechanism il- '50 lustrated in Figs. l-to 5 is as fpllows. When the door is moved from an open to a closed position, the abutment-acting roller 2l will engage the oblique face of the latch dog Il and cam the same into the casing I1.- When the roller 24 5 passes the free end or edge of the dog I8, the laterally extended flange 20 of said latch dog will bdsprung Yinto engagement with the roller and, under the action of spring 23, will exert force, pressing the door to a tightly closed position with the shoulder I2 engaged with the buffer I3 and the joint between the elements I4 and I5 tightly closed. Under the action just described, not only is the door tightly closed, but it is also held against rattling.

To release the latch for door-opening position from the interior of the car,-it is only necessary to press upward on the inside handle 3l, thereby causing link 21 to press lever l25 against the latch dog I8 therebyforcing the latter beyond the roller 24 so that the door may be freely opened. Thefsame releasing action will be produced by pressing downward on the outside lever 32 which, in this instance, will cause the cam arm or eccentric 34, acting throughv lever or arm 25, to press latch dog I8 to releasing position.

In the structure illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, link 21' is substituted for the link 21, and this link in its outer end, is pivoted to the depending crank arm 29 of the shaft 38 of the inside handle 3I. The outside handle 38, in this instance, is pivoted at 39 to a bearing 60 on the outer side of the door, and at an eccentric point, is connected to a link 6I, the inner end of which isshown as connected to a small bell crank lever 62 pivote'd within the casing I6 and connected to the link 21 by a slot andy pin connection 53. In this modified structure the operation of releasing the latch by manipulation of the inside handle is the same as already described. However, the handle 38 works somewhat differently from the handle 32 in that the former will cause releasing of the latch dog when the free end is simply pulled directly outward or `away from the door.

In lock or latch mechanism of the kind described the use of oil or grease is neither necessary or desirable. rIhe roller acts on the latch dog with so little friction that grease is not necessary. Grease is objectionable because it runs on to the edges of the door and door frame and exposed portions of the latch mechanism and, as used in the ordinary lock, soils the clothes of persons entering or leaving the car. Moreover, the latch mechanism operates very silently and insures latching the door in a properly closed position. Also, the releasing of the latch for opening the door may be performed with very slight effort yet, when the door is closed, it will be held very securely against accidental opening movement. A

From the foregoing it will be understood that the mechanism described is capable of modicationsoth'er than those illustrated all within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and y claimed.

From the foregoing it is also evident vthat the lock or latch mechanism may be used on various doors other than those of automobiles or motor propelled vehicles.

What I claim is:

l. The combination vwith a door and a frame in which said door is hingedly mounted, of a lock mechanism involving an outwardly springpressed latch dog pivotally mounted ln said door frame, and said dog having an approximately L-shaped operative face normally projecting outward of the'door frame, a detent in the form of a roller mounted in the door at the free edge thereof closely adjacent to the inner face of the Y door, said roller having an entirely rolling action relative to the latch dog', whereby the door is entirely free from the friction of a sliding movement, said roller having a rolling action on the l.shape'd face of said dog and movable to a position beyond said dog when the door is closed, and connections on the door for retracting said dog, said spring-pressed latch dog, when in a door-latching position, is stopped against said roller and exerts a force pressing the door tightly to closed position, and in addition to its latching function, holds the door against rattling.

2. The combination with a door and a frame in which said door is hingedly mounted, of 'a lock mechanism involving an outwardly springpressed latch dog pivotally mounted in said doorA ment, said roller having a rolling action on the- L-shaped face of said dog and movablel to a position beyond said. dog when the door is closed, and connections for retracting said dog, said spring-.pressed latch dog, when in a door-latching position, is stopped against said roller and exerts a force pressing the door tightly to closed position, and in addition to its latching function, holds the door against rattling.

EDWARD E. KUE'TJBE. 

